1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sports equipment and, in particular, to a sports system that may be used in connection with a basketball.
2. Description of Related Art
The game of basketball typically includes a flat and level playing surface with a basketball goal at each end of the court. The basketball goal, which may include a backboard and a rim or hoop, is typically attached to the top of a support pole. The rim or hoop is normally located ten feet above the playing surface and the backboard is constructed from materials such as wood, plastic or tempered glass.
Basketball is a very popular game and many people desire to play basketball at home. Many basketball systems designed for home use require the basketball goal be permanently fixed in a particular location. For example, many home basketball systems are permanently positioned on the edge of the driveway. Disadvantageously, mounting a basketball goal adjacent to the driveway of the home may create a risk of damage to cars using the driveway or cars that are parked nearby. In addition, one or more cars may have to be moved before the basketball goal may be used.
Permanent basketball systems designed for use at home may also be difficult to install. For example, concrete or asphalt may be located where it is desired to install the permanent basketball system. Accordingly, the concrete or asphalt may have to be removed and/or replaced to allow the basketball system to be installed. Undesirably, removing and/or replacing the concrete or asphalt may be difficult, time-consuming and expensive. In addition, this would most likely prevent use of the driveway during the period of construction and repair.
Permanent basketball systems that are installed at home are usually located outdoors and are exposed to the harsh elements of the weather throughout the entire year. Disadvantageously, when conventional permanent basketball systems are constantly exposed to the elements such as rain, snow, sleet, high temperatures and high humidity, various components of the basketball systems may prematurely oxidize, corrode or rust. Premature oxidation, corrosion and rust can be particularly troublesome in basketball systems that have any moving parts, such as height adjustment mechanisms or breakaway rim assemblies. Moreover, constant exposure to the elements may cause failure of such mechanisms.
It is also known to use permanent basketball systems indoors. Indoor basketball systems, however, require a large amount of space and must be located away from other structures to allow basketball to be played. For example, conventional indoor basketball systems must generally be spaced several feet away from the walls so that the walls do not interfere with playing basketball. These permanent basketball systems may limit or prevent the space from being used for other purposes. For example, schools typically have a gymnasium and basketball goals may be located near the ends or sides of the gymnasium. The basketball goals may undesirably preclude or interfere with use of the gymnasium for other purposes. In addition, on some occasions, objection may be made to the appearance and location of the permanently mounted basketball goals.
Portable basketball systems that are movable from one location to another location are also known. Conventional portable basketball systems typically require a large amount of weight so that the basketball goal remains in a generally rigid, upright position for use when playing basketball or shooting baskets. In particular, many conventional portable basketball systems require a large and heavy base to prevent the basketball system from undesirably moving. The large and heavy base, however, may make these basketball systems very difficult to move and may require the assistance of several people to set up or relocate the systems. Additionally, these known basketball systems are often relatively expensive and that may prohibit people from using these systems at home.
Conventional portable basketball systems may use removable weights, such as sand bags or metal weights, which help maintain the basketball systems in a fixed position. Disadvantageously, these removable weights can be extremely heavy, difficult to lift and hard to position in the desired location. Accordingly, although these basketball systems using removable weights may be easier to move in relation to permanently mounted goals, the weights or weighted members are often not easy to move, lift or position, which may limit the usefulness of the portable basketball systems.
In order to make portable basketball systems better suited for home use, large support bases with a hollow cavity for receiving ballast material, such as sand or water, were developed. These portable basketball systems may be moved into the desired location and then the support base may be filled with sand or water to add weight to the system, which would help prevent the system from undesirably moving during use. Disadvantageously, the large support bases of many conventional portable basketball systems were difficult to fill with sand or water.
Many conventional basketball systems also include large and/or heavy parts, which can be difficult to install. In addition, these large parts may increase the size of the packaging, which can further increase shipping costs. Further, some retail consumers may not have access to vehicles (such as trucks, sport utility vehicles or the like) that can transport the large packaging and thus may choose not to purchase the basketball systems.
Netball is a sport or activity that is similar to basketball and it is very popular in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Netball is also played in various countries such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Jamaica, Barbados and Sri Lanka. Like basketball, netball is played on a hard court with scoring rings or goals at both ends of the court. The netball generally resembles a basketball but it is typically lighter, smaller and slightly softer in construction. The netball goals have a smaller dimension and height in comparison to basketball goals, and the netball goals do not include backboards. The netball court is slightly larger than a basketball court, being 30.5 meters long and 15.25 meters wide. The longer sides of the netball court are called Side Lines and the shorter lines are called Goal Lines. The netball court is divided into thirds which regulates where individuals in each team are allowed to move. The netball court also includes two semi-circular “shooting circles” at each end from within which all scoring shots must be taken.